Hazard won the penalty which brought the Premier League champions level four minutes after Jack Wilshere’s 63rd minute opening goal.

Wenger accused the Belgium forward of cheating ahead of his side’s FA Cup third round defeat at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and stoked the fires ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup semi final first leg at Stamford Bridge by again choosing to criticise Hazard’s actions.

‘I questioned the decision of the referee,’ said Wenger, who will serve the second game of his three-match touchline ban this evening. ‘Then, we are objective. You look at the picture.

‘You see how Hazard goes down and you see how quickly he takes the penalty when he gets the penalty.

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‘If he was so injured, why did he take the penalty? He made more of it, [like a] professional, basically, and shouts. I can understand that.

‘I do not blame Hazard. He acted in a very professional way to get the penalty for his team, which he did well.’

It will be the second time in under a year that Wenger is forced to watch his side take on Chelsea from the stands, having been forced to take in last season’s 3-1 defeat in close proximity to the home fans.

‘I was in the middle of the crowd. [It was] very uncomfortable,’ added Wenger.

‘It was not a pleasant experience. But at Chelsea you have to go on the other side to go in the directors’ box. So the time [it takes to] get around the stadium, it’s 10 minutes played.

‘I sat next to a guy. He says ‘Hello, how are you?’ And I said, ‘Good afternoon.’ He said, ‘I’m your gardener.’ And I didn’t know him.’